Philadelphia Eagles make NFL history with Josh McCown signing

The Philadelphia Eagles have officially brought back QB Josh McCown.

It was heavily rumored that the Philadelphia Eagles wanted to bring back veteran quarterback Josh McCown as a coaching assistant this offseason. Instead, the two sides have agreed upon a deal where McCown will join the team’s practice squad as a player coach/emergency QB. It was reported that this signing will also make McCown the oldest practice squad player in NFL history.

McCown was a late addition to the team last offseason, as he was signed to replace backup QB Nate Sudfield when he went down with a broken wrist. The journeyman QB impressed during his preseason snaps, showing a level of poise and command that a coaching staff always look for in a veteran shot-caller.

With Carson Wentz under center for essentially the entirety of the 2019 regular season, McCown thrived in a bit of a coaching/mentorship role on the sidelines. He was regularly seen amping up teammates, going over routes with WRs, and even helping Wentz himself grow as a passer. It was clear that a good chunk of the young players resonated with McCown’s style of leadership, and Doug Pederson himself frequently turned to McCown for advice during games.

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McCown even made some waves in the front office, as it was reported that he was the one who vouched for the signing of former teammate Deontay Burnett towards the end of last season. Burnett had an incredible catch against the Giants in Week 17, and thoroughly impressed during training camp this year, solidifying himself a spot on the team’s practice squad.

Of course McCown’s ultimate Philly moment came during the team’s lone playoff game, as he had to sub in for a concussed Wentz. He played the game on a completely torn hamstring, fighting to the very last moment trying to win it for his teammates. He left the field in tears, and solidified a spot in Eagles fans’ hearts forever.

McCown will reportedly remain at his home in Texas during the season, barring some sort of emergency to the Philadelphia Eagles QB room. McCown will make $12k a week helping some of the practice squad players grow via Zoom calls, as he himself continues to transition into what is assumed to be an eventual coaching career in the NFL.

Tight end Zach Ertz already expressed his excitement over the signing and I’m sure plenty of other players/coaches feel the same way. In just one short season, McCown developed an awesome connection with a lot of personnel in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room, and this move further develops the type of culture the team has tried to create over the last few seasons.

With Jalen Hurts and Nate Sudfield both on the 53-man roster backing up Wentz currently, it’s highly unlikely that the Eagles would ever have to call up McCown for activation, but with COVID-19 you truly never know. Not only does McCown provide an awesome instructional voice on the team’s practice squad, but he also adds one final layer of security should disaster strike.